(1) Field of the Invention:
The present invention relates to a ceramic carrier for administration of medicines, which consists of a small granule of a porous ceramic material.
(2) Description of the Prior Art:
Oral administration, external application and injection into muscles, blood vessels and the like have heretofore been adopted as means for administration of medicines into living bodies.
However, when an antibiotic substance is used for preventing suppuration in an incised part, a medicine absorbed passes through all the parts of a living body inclusive of the incised part. In other words, although only a part of a living body requires a medicine, the medicine passes throughout the body and the medicinal effect of the medicine is substantially consumed in normal parts not requiring the medicine. Accordingly, it is difficult to maintain a therapeutic effect for a long time continuously, and in order to obtain a durable effect, the medicine should be administered continuously. This often results in production of undesirable side effects.
In order to overcome this disadvantage, it is most desired to administer a medicine only to a limited part of a living body truly requiring a therapeutic effect and appropriately adjust the duration of the effect of the medicine according to the condition and kind of the disease.
It is known that when a medicine is supported on an appropriate carrier, a gradual release characteristic can be obtained. For example, German Patent Application Laid-Open Specifications No. 2,651,441.0 and No. 2,727,535.0 teach that when an antibiotic substance such as Gentamicin is supported on a granule of a polymethacrylate or polyacrylate, a gradual release characteristic of the active ingredient can be obtained.
According to the teachings of these prior art references, a granule is prepared from a pasty composition comprising the above-mentioned polymer, a medicine, a monomer and a polymerization catalyst, and the resulting granule should be cured. Accordingly, the preparation procedures are complicated and troublesome. Furthermore, in this conventional process, it is very difficult to control the speed of releasing the medicine. Moreover, it is apprehended that the polymerization catalyst (radical initiator) has undesirable effects on the medicine. Still further, the polymer acting as the carrier is poor in the affinity with a living body, and causes harm to the living body. Accordingly, the granular supported medicine applied for remedy of such disease as the osteomyelitis should be taken out from the body after recovery.